Nakuru Town West MP aspirant Francisca Kamuren to vie as independent
Nakuru Town West MP aspirant Francisca Kamuren addressing the media in Nakuru City on May 2, 2022.
After losing in the Nakuru Town West constituency United Democratic Alliance (UDA) primaries, Ms Francisca Kamuren has decided to seek election in the August 9 polls as an independent candidate.
"During the party primaries a lot of injustices were meted on me and I have decided to run as an independent candidate and allow Nakuru Town West residents to elect their preferred leader," Ms Kamuren told Nation.Africa.
While addressing the media in Nakuru City on Monday, Ms Kamuren said that she is still in the race. Her symbol will be a plate.
"My symbol will be a plate and this means if I'm elected, I will distribute goodies equally to all residents of Nakuru Town West," said Ms Kamuren.
She said that Nakuru West is ready for a woman MP.
She rejected the results of the UDA primaries in which she lost to Mr Kamau Githengi. She described UDA primaries as a "shambolic" exercise.
Chaotic primaries
During the chaotic primaries that were not concluded as some polling stations were rocked by chaos, Mr Kamau garnered about 3,100 votes while Ms Kamuren had 2,600.
Ms Kamuren claimed that rigging, violence and confusion that erupted during the voting was a well-planned scheme to ensure she loses the primaries in favour of her opponent.
“I lost the primaries unfairly. Some people conspired to ensure I don't win and I blame this on a top UDA politician who had planted an unpopular candidate," said Ms Kamuren.
She continued: "During the primaries, Nakuru West UDA supporters were not given a fair platform to elect their preferred leader. Goons hired by one of the aspirants destroyed voting materials in seven polling stations."
She cited the Milimani, Mama Ngina, Mwariki, Nakuru West, Koinange and Uhuru Primary School polling stations as the most affected. Hired goons burnt ballot papers.
"I was shocked that the county and constituency returning officers counted votes from affected polling stations like Uhuru Primary and Mama Ngina,” she said.
Nakuru Town West UDA aspirant, Francisca Kamuren (centre) with her supporters in Nakuru City on May 2, 2022.
"UDA supporters in Nakuru Town West did not have an opportunity to elect their preferred leader," she said.
She said that instead of UDA calling for a repeat of the exercise, the party went ahead and issued a nomination certificate to an unpopular candidate.
"The party ordered for a repeat of the Kaptembwa Ward primaries in two polling stations where voting did not take place and Rongai constituency due to malpractices, I wonder why this was not done in Nakuru Town West," she said adding that the primaries were not held on the same day as the rest of the party nominations across the country.
“Holding nominations on a different date was part of the rigging scheme engineered by a senior politician in the county after prevailing upon some aspirants to step down."
She asked the UDA party to condemn violence against women aspirants.
Ms Kamuren affirmed that she supports Deputy President William Ruto's bid for the presidency and will vigorously campaign for him.
